Size-grading mechanism



Sept. 4, 1934. R. ALLEN 1,972,369

SI ZE GRADING MECHANISM Filed Dec. 10, 1931 wiw LE'WIS K ALLEN QTTOP/WD/ Patented Sept. 4, 1934 UNITED. sTA'rEs PATENT OFFICE This invention relates to improvements-in'sizegrading mechanism, and more particularly to such mechanism "for separating out the various sizes of fruits, vegetables or the like, and has among its objects, the procluction of sucha mechanism that will be'simple and sturdy in construction, neat in appearance, durable, and effi cient and satisfactory for use wherever found applicable. v

Another object of my invention-is which will have'no points or projections extend ing therefrom and which might pierce or other-- wise damage orinjurethe' fruit or similar soft amaterial passing thereover. 7

Another object 'of my invention is to form such a belt of aplurality'of ring elements havingcon tinuously extending eyes at the sides thereof, and

links through the eyes of adjacent ring elements Still another object of my invention is to so con-' .struct-said belt ofsuch ring elements and'interconnecting links, that the belt will be sufiiciently flexible to be driven over sprocket'wheels or sim ilar devices for driving, and that said b'elt- 'w'ill flex or pivot both longitudinally and laterally "in"- true straight lines, to thereby enable thering elements to present their top surfaces in smoothunbroken contours and not with some of the eleby fasteninglinks to form an endless member.

ments askew.

Many'other objects and advantages struction herein shown and described will be obvi ous to those skilled in the art to which this inven-" tionappertains, from the disclosures herein given.--

To this end my invention" consists in the novel- I ments are twopairs of diametrically opposed eyes 40 arrangement, construction and combination of parts herein shown and described, and the uses mentionedand more particularly pointed out in the claims.

"In the drawing, wherein like references 'indiparts throughoutthe' of the con-- merit of my invention, A represents the frame-' work of the mechanism, the same comprising generally, a hopper or the like'into which the fruit, vegetables or the like is placed as at l, with a preferably traveling separator belt B forming the bedof the same. This belt may be driven with any suitable means as by sprocket wheels 2 and 3, the actuating or driving handle being indicated at H 4. The'fruit passes through the openings pro- 'toprovide i a separating belt for such a mechanism, *and vided in theseparator belt B and onto a conveyor, chute or other suitable means therebelow and fromwhence it is conducted to the packing rooms orthe like, the larger fruit passing along the belt and discharged therefrom at the far end thereof. Obviously, where the objects being graded as to size are fruit or the like, it is highly important that the same be handled with care so as to avoid puncturing, abrading, crushing or injuring themin any other manner which would make them less desirable and hence decrease their worth. To this end, I have taken great care that the belt will present a smooth, unbroken surface to the fruit passing therealong and thereover, and insure that some of the elements outof which the belt is formed shall not set askew during its travel, and that although the elements will have movement relatively of one another to accomplish their purpose, yet there will be substantially no play between the various elements and their interconnecting fasteners.

The belt'B is composed of the pluralityof the separate individual ring elements interconnected Each ring element consists of a main ring portion 5 of the size desired for grading a particular commodityfsuchas oranges, apples, or the like, this ring opening 5 being continuous throughout its circumference.

Projecting laterally from each of the ring ele- 66 and 77 respectively, each of said eyesbeing formed withja cross-bar or eye-bar at its outermost side, spaced radially from the ring portion 5, the bars; on the eyes 6--6 being indicated as 8 and 9, and the bars on the other pair being similarly represented. It is to be noted at this 1 point, that the bars are all not of the same width,

but that upon the contrary, the bars 99 adjacent one, another are Wider than the other bars 8-8 and are wider than the thickness of the element. thereat, for a purpose to be more clearly hereinafter described.

Side arms 10 extend from the periphery of the ring portion 5 of the ring elements extending arcuately in both directions and terminating at others.

the cross bars 8 and 9 to form the eyes 6 and 7 therewith. These side arms extend for substantially a complete quarter circle so that when the ring elements are juxtaposed, as in the drawing, the cross bars of adjacent elements will abut one another and leave no openings or sharp projections therebetween to engage the fruit that is intended to pass thereover.

Links 11 are positioned over the eye-bars of adjacent ring elements so as to interconnect said adjacent elements to form said separator belt, holding these elements in position to form the true, full circular, continuous rings therebetween and through which the fruit may pass without injury. These links are preferably made of wide metal strips, the width or" the strips being substantially equal to that of the eyes (between the outermost ends of the side arms) so as to pass therethrough without play therebetween, said link ends of the links brought up into abutment across the width of the material. 7 h v The elements are so placed in juxtaposition that the wide bars 9-9 of one element are adjacent the narrower bars 8-8 of the adjacent element, so that each link will embrace a wide bar and a narrowbar of the adjacent elements. Obviously, inasmuch as the bars 9--9 are wider than the thickness of the ring elements thereat, those portions of the link that embrace the wide bars -may not have pivotal movement relative thereto,

but will move therewith and as part thereof, while the portion of the link that embraces the narrower bars permits of pivotal movement there-.

between. V

In this way, the belt .will have its necessary amount of flexibility, so as to permit it to function efficiently, and yet will always present a smooth surface to the fruit thereon, and some of the elements will not be askew relative to the The elements will be in abutment with one another ,to further insure this smooth, unbroken surface, and there will be noprojecting ends, prongs or corners that could injure theffruit passing therealong, and the elementswill have no lateral play therebetween.

Further, the belt will pivot or bend across its width, as well as longitudinally thereof, in true being to one side of the: pivotal axeaand the narrower bars to the other side of these axes.

The links will be limited in their pivotal movement, to movement only relatively of theelements connected thereto with its narrower bar, and

,hence there will not be the same likelihoodofthe ring elements getting askew and'in different various planes as if the links were pivotally movable at both its ends where they are attached to these elements. i

Having thus described my invention, it is obvious that various immaterial modifications may be made in the same without departing from the spirit of my invention; hence I do not wish to be understood as limiting myself to the exact form, .arrangement, construction and combination of parts herein shown and described, or uses mentioned, except as limited by the state of the art to which this invention appertains, or from the claims hereto appended.

What I claim as new and desire to secure by Letters Patent is:

1. A separating mechanism having a plurality of separator elements; and links for interconnecting them to form a belt, each of said elements having a central ring and two pairs of diametrically opposed straight bars of substantially equal length, the bars of adjacent elements abutting one another and one being circular and the other substantially rectangular in cross-section, one pair of adjacent bars of each element being wider than its thickness thereat, and said elements juxtaposed so that said wider bars of one element will abut a narrower bar of the adjacent element, each of said links being engaged closely about a narrow and a wide bar of a pair of adjacent elements.

2. A separating mechanism having a plurality of elements; and links of relatively thin material for interconnecting them to form a belt, each of said elements having a ring and two pairs of diaclosely encircling said eye-bars as shown, and the metrically opposed eyes, the eyes of adjacent elements abutting one another, the side arms of each eye being straight and extending continuously from the ends of its bar to the ends of the adjacent bars, one pair of adjacent bars of each element being wider than its thickness and of noncircular cross section, and said elements juxtaposed so that said wider bars of each element willabut a narrower bar of the adjacent element,

each of said links substantially closely encircling and engaging a narrowand a wide bar of adjacent elements, whereby said links are substantially flush with the top of said elements and are held against rotation'relatively of one of each pair of adjacent interconnected elements.

3. A separating mechanism having a plurality of ring elements; and links for interconnecting said elements to form a belt, each of said elements having a plurality of link-receiving straight bars, all of equal length but one of said bars being wider than the thickness thereat and of substantially rectangular shapein cross-section, said links sub" stantially closely encircling and engaging a wider v bar of one element and one of the narrower bars of the adjacent element.

4. A separating belt comprised of a plurality of ring elements, each of which has two pairs of diametrically opposed bars extending therefrom,

metrically-opposed link-receiving bars extending therefrom, two adjacent bars of each element being of rectangularcross-section and wider than the thickness of said elements, and said elements being juxtaposed so that said wider bars of one element will abut the narrower bars of the adjacent element; and links substantially closely encircling and engaging juxtaposed pairs of bars to interconnect said elements together.

LEWIS R. ALLEN. 

